The compartmentalizing of ones own self is a reflection of the demands of the capitalist mode of production, not to beat dead horse. You have yourself at home, yourself at work, yourself with your parents, yourself with your spouse, yourself with your children, yourself when acting as a consumer, yourself with your friends. Many of these selves are minimizes or archived as a result of the never ending demands of capitalist society.

Having the ability to “branch out” is also a reflection of the capitalist system. You have these opportunities due in part to your success at the game of capital. You might be higher up the ladder, engendering an existence with fewer consequences or more flex time or leisure time. You have this freedom to socialize in ways that are different because the demands are different. This process is effectively a game of chance played at a cosmic scale.

I knew people I thought would have branched out due in part to their placement in the cosmic lottery only to learn they had OD’d and had a long standing drug habit I wasn’t aware of. I know people who looked to be going nowhere, but now work in the games industry on huge projects. Life has a funny way of working out. There isn’t much of a point comparing yourself to others, because what is true today could be false tomorrow.

The only person worth comparing yourself to is yourself. Setting realistic and achievable goals will eventually add up in time, and you’ll look back at your self and be able to say you’ve succeeded.